News Release Archive

NWO working with state, local, tribal officials in flood fight

OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, is working with the Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota Emergency Management Agencies, as well as local emergency management officials through the affected states, plus local and tribal governments in their flood fight efforts resulting from the recent rapid snowmelt and rain in the lower plains.

Flood teams from USACE are surveying the integrity of the levees along both banks of the Missouri River from Omaha to Rulo, Nebraska, as well as USACE dams along Papillion Creek in Omaha, and Salt Creek in Lincoln.

“Widespread rain and snowmelt has caused significant runoff from uncontrolled tributaries, which is leading to elevated levels of the Missouri River below Gavins Point Dam. The Corps of Engineers continues to monitor the situation and provide all flood fight assistance requested by local emergency officials,” said Col. John Hudson, USACE-Omaha, commander.

Releases from Fort Randall Dam, the Missouri main stem dam immediately upstream of Gavins Point Dam, have been completely stopped to reduce impacts below Gavins Point Dam. Significant inflows continues to be received into the system above Gavins Point, resulting in the possibility of increased releases later today and likely tomorrow.

"We know there are communities experiencing flooding, or nearing that condition, along the Missouri downstream of our dams,” said John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Water Management Division in Omaha. “We are managing releases from Gavins Point as judiciously as we can in order to lessen the impact downstream.”

The Omaha District has provided approximately 25,000 sandbags to Columbus, Nebraska; North Bend, Nebraska; Holt and Howard counties, Nebraska; and the Yankton Sioux Tribe. One water pump has also been provided to the Village of Waterloo, Nebraska.

Also, the Omaha District’s tribal liaison is coordinating with area tribal nations, as well as FEMA and the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices, to address the tribes concerns related to flooding.

The USACE Emergency Operations Center will be manned 24-hours-a-day as needed to monitor conditions, field calls from community partners and providing information and resources to state and local governments and agencies.

The mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to deliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters.

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